Syracuse vs. North Carolina State: Wolfpack Look to Build on Weekend Win

The Syracuse Orange (17-8) will head south to take on the North Carolina State Wolfpack (16-9) on Tuesday night. This Atlantic Coast Conference matchup features two teams fighting for their postseason lives just under a month before March Madness tips off.

The Orange come into tonight’s matchup after losing five of their previous eight games. However, the cold snap included an impressive upset win against a top-ten North Carolina team.

The Wolfpack have also lost five of their previous eight but are coming off a massive road win against Clemson on Saturday. The win lands the Wolfpack in fifth place in the ACC standings and is a win away from vaulting into the all-important top four.

Below, we will break down everything you need to know about this game. We’ll share the latest odds and insights and our prediction for how the game will play out.

Syracuse Orange vs. NC State Wolfpack Betting Odds

The Wolfpack enter tonight’s game as a slight favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. With both teams struggling, bookmakers give the home team the edge in this matchup.

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While the Orange recently pulled off a massive upset of the Tar Heels, this is not a very good team. They are 0-4 in their other games against ranked teams, being outscored by a combined 338-246.

Syracuse has not played well on the road this season. They are 2-6 on the season in true road games like the one they have tonight and 1-5 when entering as a road underdog.

The Orange are led on offense by guard Judah Mintz, averaging 18.3 points per game. While he can put up impressive totals, Mintz is not an efficient scorer. He is making 43.3% of his shots from the field and 30.4% from three. Forward Chris Bell is averaging just 11.2 points but is Syracuse’s most dangerous shooter from deep, making 39.3% of his three-point attempts. 

Few teams got a more important win than the NC State Wolfpack over the weekend. The team broke out of a slump by pulling off a one-point road win against Clemson. The win tie lands them in fifth place in the ACC. The top four teams in the ACC get a bye for the conference tournament, making tonight’s game crucial for the Wolfpack.

NC State is 11-3 at home this season and 11-2 as a home favorite. They did lose to Syracuse at the end of January, though that came on the road.

The Wolfpack live and die by the shot of DJ Horne. The guard was incredible in their win against Clemson, going 5-11 from three to score 27 points. He is the only reliable shooter on the team, with no other starter making over 31% of their attempts from three. Only three other players are averaging over ten points per game, making him the heart of the NC State offense.

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Syracuse Orange vs. NC State Wolfpack Prediction & Betting Pick

Scoring has been a tall order for the Wolfpack this season, but that won’t be the case against Syracuse tonight. 

The Orange are one of the worst defensive teams in the ACC, allowing 74.3 points per game. They rank fourteenth in the ACC in opponent field goal percentage (45%) and eighth from three (33.4%). Syracuse is able to help compensate for those struggles by generating turnovers, leading the conference in steals per game (9.5 SPG).

The Wolfpack match up very well against the Syracuse defense. Their inefficient shooting should get a boost, thanks to the Oranges’ struggles to contest shots. While quick hands or Syracuse can cause problems, NC State does an excellent job holding on to the ball. They are allowing the second-fewest turnovers in the ACC, doing so 9.4 times per game.

On the other side of the ball, the Wolfpack are a better defensive team than Syracuse. They are seventh in opponent scoring (70.8 PPG) and third in steals (7.7 SPG). 

We see this game coming down to the top scorers in this game: DJ Horne and Judah Mintz. Horne is the more efficient scorer and has far more experience, having played over 145 college games in his career. Given that he will be at home and with a more talented roster, we give Horne and the Wolfpack the edge.

NC State still has an outside shot to make this year’s NCAA Tournament, and we think they will take another step towards accomplishing that tonight.

• Our Bet: North Carolin State -4.5 (-110) at FanDuel Sportsbook

How to Watch Syracuse Orange vs. NC State Wolfpack

• What: Syracuse Orange vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack

• When: Tuesday, February 20 @ 7 PM EST

• Where: PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC

• TV: ESPN 2

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